Archinect - News2015-08-02T14:24:47-04:00http://archinect.com/news/article/129095383/as-the-okura-says-sayonara-tokyo-doesn-t-seem-to-care-much
As the Okura says sayonara, Tokyo doesn't seem to care much Alexander Walter2015-06-08T13:11:00-04:00>2015-06-11T00:15:10-04:00<img src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/514x/6t/6t52nin7g9tn56rj.jpg" width="514" height="351" border="0" title="" alt="" /><em><p>The Hotel Okura, built in 1962 in time for the 1964 Olympics, is slated to be torn down in September to make way for a bigger, fancier Okura, in time for the 2020 Olympics. (The less-good, less-famous southern wing of the old Okura, added in 1973, will be allowed to stay.) [...]
There will never be this particular hush again in the middle of Tokyo. You will have to have been there to know what you will soon miss.</p></em><br /><br /><p>Previously:&nbsp;<a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/106634364/farewell-to-the-old-okura" target="_blank">Farewell to the Old Okura</a></p>http://archinect.com/news/article/126054273/artist-bedecks-decrepit-bates-motel-in-ghost-white-before-eventual-demolition
Artist bedecks decrepit Bates Motel in ghost-white before eventual demolition Justine Testado2015-04-24T14:34:00-04:00>2015-04-28T21:57:04-04:00<img src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/514x/oz/ozdba6291tojl21w.jpg" width="514" height="346" border="0" title="" alt="" /><em><p>This project [titled 'Projection'], announced last October, is probably the first time in a long time that the old inn (aka the Sunset Pacific) has gotten so much attention. The Bates&mdash;whose nickname is as much a callback to 'Psycho' as it is to the motel's location near the intersection of Bates and Sunset&mdash;has been vacant for decades, except for the squatters and the occasional, totally fun-looking, likely illegal party</p></em><br /><br /><p>Artist Vincent Lamouroux went all out in covering Silver Lake's Bates Motel in stark white limewash for his piece titled, <em>Projection</em>, which officially opens on April 26. As of now, the derelict landmark will eventually be razed to make room for three mixed-users.</p>http://archinect.com/news/article/125433971/envisioned-as-tallest-tower-in-turkey-ankara-s-partially-built-republic-tower-is-now-heading-for-demolition
Envisioned as tallest tower in Turkey, Ankara's partially-built Republic Tower is now heading for demolition Alexander Walter2015-04-16T13:23:00-04:00>2015-04-20T20:31:32-04:00<img src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/514x/dh/dhvfwcxecyvma39b.jpg" width="514" height="285" border="0" title="" alt="" /><em><p>Started in 2003 by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdo&#287;an and intended to be Turkey&rsquo;s tallest tower, the partially-constructed Republic Tower in Ankara&rsquo;s Ke&ccedil;i&ouml;ren district will now be demolished after the Ankara Municipal Assembly rejected its zoning plan. [...]
First started in 2003 and stalled since 2008, the 144-meter tall tower which has already cost TRY 27 million (USD 10 million) will now be demolished.</p></em><br /><br /><p>Related:&nbsp;<a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/107097802/istanbul-s-illegal-towers-to-be-demolished-after-landmark-court-ruling" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Istanbul's 'illegal' towers to be demolished after landmark court ruling</a></p>http://archinect.com/news/article/118346265/thom-mayne-razing-ray-bradbury-s-house-to-build-his-own
Thom Mayne razing Ray Bradbury's house to build his own Amelia Taylor-Hochberg2015-01-14T13:11:00-05:00>2015-02-02T12:42:19-05:00<img src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/514x/0f/0fa437243d061ad807295e5941435e5f.jpg" width="200" height="150" border="0" title="" alt="" /><em><p>[Ray Bradbury's] Cheviot Hills house ... hit the market last May, and sold in a little over a month for $1.765 million [...]
the buyers were Pritzker-Prize-winning architect Thom Mayne, of the firm Morphosis, and his wife, Blythe Alison-Mayne. [...]
the new property owner's plan is to demolish Bradbury's house to put in a new house with three underground levels&mdash;one of which will hold a swimming pool&mdash;and two stories above ground.</p></em><br /><br /><p>CurbedLA also points out that, according to <a href="http://morphopedia.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Morphopedia</a>, this will be Mayne's first residential project in LA in more than ten years.</p><p>More photos via <a href="http://file770.com/?p=20397?michpun" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">File 770</a>.</p>http://archinect.com/news/article/114040210/saving-buildings-with-social-media-or-not
Saving Buildings with Social Media (Or Not) Amelia Taylor-Hochberg2014-11-19T14:56:00-05:00>2014-11-24T15:25:09-05:00<img src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/514x/0r/0rnmtjgjd68r29w8.jpg" width="514" height="502" border="0" title="" alt="" /><em><p>We call it &ldquo;destructoporn&rdquo; (since 2007, according to Urban Dictionary) and it comes, unbidden, via digital media. Where did I see that Tod Williams and Billie Tsien&rsquo;s Folk Art Museum, just thirteen years old, was down to steel and rubble? The art critic Jerry Saltz&rsquo;s Instagram. [...]
The dailiness, even hourliness, of social media makes it a perfect vehicle for documenting each thump of the wrecking ball, each crunch of the backhoe. Its visual slant is ideal for activism wrapped up in pictures.</p></em><br /><br /><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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http://archinect.com/news/article/107402795/better-economy-means-more-homes-being-razed
Better economy means more homes being razed Amelia Taylor-Hochberg2014-08-25T13:26:00-04:00>2014-08-27T18:14:02-04:00<img src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/514x/67/67cdd14a3f1e1c6e55aaf333afe1354e.jpg" width="514" height="289" border="0" title="" alt="" /><em><p>For some historic preservationists on the North Shore, the economic downturn in 2008 had a silver lining, bringing a lull in tear-downs and new-home construction that gave scores of vintage properties a reprieve from the wrecking ball.
But six years later, officials in north suburban Winnetka tasked with preserving historic homes say that reprieve has clearly ended. They report that demolition permits have nearly doubled, with 36 issued in 2013, up from 19 in 2009.</p></em><br /><br /><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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http://archinect.com/news/article/107170089/the-demolition-of-5-pointz-has-begun
The Demolition of 5 Pointz Has Begun Alexander Walter2014-08-22T12:48:00-04:00>2014-08-27T18:15:53-04:00<img src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/514x/f5/f5175f031ae94c4f7a3b3852f7df5b52.jpg" width="514" height="289" border="0" title="" alt="" /><em><p>5 Pointz, New York City&rsquo;s &ldquo;graffiti mecca,&rdquo; is being demolished right now. This morning, a backhoe began tearing into the building that has served as a legal spot for aerosol artists for over two decades. In 2011, the property owner announced that he will be developing the site and transforming it into a massive residential condo complex.</p></em><br /><br /><p><a href="http://archinect.com/news/tag/360147/5-pointz" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Previously</a></p>http://archinect.com/news/article/107097802/istanbul-s-illegal-towers-to-be-demolished-after-landmark-court-ruling
Istanbul's 'illegal' towers to be demolished after landmark court ruling Alexander Walter2014-08-21T14:19:00-04:00>2014-08-28T09:43:04-04:00<img src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/514x/5f/5f33df22e114df804a8e92c64292c28b.jpg" width="460" height="276" border="0" title="" alt="" /><em><p>The Turkish Council of State has ordered three luxury apartment blocks to be bulldozed amid widespread outrage. But will it have any impact on the country&rsquo;s unstoppable, and often unlawful, construction boom?</p></em><br /><br /><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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http://archinect.com/news/article/106634364/farewell-to-the-old-okura
Farewell to the Old Okura Alexander Walter2014-08-15T13:54:00-04:00>2014-08-18T12:58:25-04:00<img src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/514x/5e/5ev1d2zsxkczcy67.jpg" width="514" height="351" border="0" title="" alt="" /><em><p>News of the planned destruction of the Hotel Okura building in Tokyo to make way for a larger 38-story glass tower has brought cries of protest in Japan and elsewhere in the world. Monocle, the wide-ranging global magazine, has started a petition to save the old Okura on behalf of &ldquo;all lovers of modern Japanese architecture.&rdquo;</p></em><br /><br /><p>Monocle's <a href="http://savetheokura.com/" target="_blank">savetheokura.com</a> petition website is still up, but it seems that the fate of Ol' Okura has been sealed.</p>http://archinect.com/news/article/105940560/mysterious-google-barge-destined-for-the-scrap-yard
Mysterious Google barge destined for the scrap yard Alexander Walter2014-08-06T14:03:00-04:00>2014-08-12T21:41:00-04:00<img src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/514x/2d/2d1fbf33ae648dbfaeca53cd48317052.jpg" width="514" height="297" border="0" title="" alt="" /><em><p>There&rsquo;s no smooth sailing for at least one of Google&rsquo;s mysterious barges.
Parts of the $4 million boat, located in Portland, Maine, are being sold for scrap, a Google spokesperson has confirmed to Fortune.
Google&rsquo;s three barges sparked a media storm of inquiries when they first appeared in 2013, raising questions about their purpose. Were they floating data centers? A secret lab to design and launch Google&rsquo;s next stunning project?</p></em><br /><br /><p>Previously:</p><ul><li><a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/85995300/google-s-barge-explanation-bilge" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Google's barge explanation: Bilge?</a></li><li><p><a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/85295792/san-francisco-s-bay-barge-mystery-floating-data-center-or-google-glass-store" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">San Francisco's bay barge mystery: Floating data center or Google Glass store?</a></p></li></ul>http://archinect.com/news/article/105478812/requiem-for-a-nightmare
Requiem for a Nightmare Alexander Walter2014-07-31T14:09:00-04:00>2014-07-31T14:45:53-04:00<img src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/514x/44/44b994abce3bc8050040a954d82f86c3.jpg" width="514" height="342" border="0" title="" alt="" /><em><p>This week came the news that the Federal Bureau of Investigation is leaving its home in Washington, D.C. [...]
Most importantly, from the perspective of thousands of D.C. residents, the District will finally be rid of the FBI's dark architecture. I will be sad to see the building go, as the city will almost certainly demand. Not only could it still potentially be put to good use, but whatever replaces the FBI Building will be regular, orderly, safe, and worse.</p></em><br /><br /><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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http://archinect.com/news/article/105329323/long-beach-moves-forward-on-southern-california-s-first-freeway-removal-project
Long Beach Moves Forward on Southern California’s First Freeway Removal Project Alexander Walter2014-07-29T15:27:00-04:00>2014-08-04T21:56:36-04:00<img src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/514x/1a/1af6608c6ace3aed01c610575368dc35.jpg" width="510" height="587" border="0" title="" alt="" /><em><p>It&rsquo;s been named one of the top &ldquo;Freeways Without Futures&rdquo; in the nation and described as a &ldquo;perfect example of obsolete infrastructure.&rdquo; [...]
Now, nearly half a decade later, the project to remove a large portion of the Terminal Island (TI) Freeway in West Long Beach has officially gone out to bid in an RFP with an estimated bid value of $225K. It marks a major event in Southern California&rsquo;s urban design history, being the first freeway removal project [...].</p></em><br /><br /><p>Related: <a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/104866476/the-forgotten-history-of-l-a-s-failed-freeway-revolt" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Forgotten History of L.A.'s Failed Freeway Revolt</a></p>http://archinect.com/news/article/104246142/in-praise-of-lacma-s-vulgar-architecture
In Praise of LACMA’s Vulgar Architecture Alexander Walter2014-07-15T13:43:00-04:00>2014-07-16T19:01:07-04:00<img src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/514x/qb/qbsut8kg1xlczd3b.jpg" width="514" height="353" border="0" title="" alt="" /><em><p>It would be better to reconsider this wholesale demolition. Especially as the proposed replacement, designed by the Swiss architect Peter Zumthor, leaves much to be desired. [...] Or maybe it&rsquo;s the quintessential Angeleno building? After all, replacing an aging faithful spouse with a younger, more stylish trophy wife is an established Hollywood custom.</p></em><br /><br /><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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http://archinect.com/news/article/99766303/no-wartime-paperwork-tear-down-your-home
No wartime paperwork? Tear down your home Alexander Walter2014-05-14T13:56:00-04:00>2014-05-15T11:59:07-04:00<img src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/514x/d4/d408ca9afab33892333983bbe8bd85ad.jpg" width="468" height="289" border="0" title="" alt="" /><em><p>A German pensioner has been ordered to demolish her own home - because the house, built at the start of World War II, did not have planning permission.</p></em><br /><br /><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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http://archinect.com/news/article/99358366/court-approves-demolition-of-foster-partners-harmon-hotel-in-vegas
Court Approves Demolition of Foster + Partners' Harmon Hotel in Vegas Archinect2014-05-07T12:10:00-04:00>2014-05-13T23:05:08-04:00<img src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/514x/d6/d6hnm0ze7ezsnz4a.jpg" width="514" height="364" border="0" title="" alt="" /><em><p>Foster + Partners&rsquo; Harmon Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip is being razed without ever opening. Owner MGM Resorts International received court approval on April 22 to demolish the unfinished 27-floor, oval-shaped tower following a protracted legal battle with its contractor, Tutor Perini Corp., over building defects.</p></em><br /><br /><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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http://archinect.com/news/article/98609130/the-folly-of-saving-what-you-kill
The Folly of Saving What You Kill Alexander Walter2014-04-24T13:12:00-04:00>2014-04-28T19:48:44-04:00<img src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/514x/2f/2fbe4f14acbb3d41b2ff9e5c41427e55.jpg" width="514" height="374" border="0" title="" alt="" /><em><p>[...] MoMA has said it would detach and preserve the facade&rsquo;s 63 textured copper-bronze panels.
One might suppose that salvage is preferable to annihilation, but before we get too comfortable with such piecemeal preservation, it is worth noting that the panel-by-panel disassembly and storage of an architectural treasure&rsquo;s metal facade has been tried before in New York City, with comically disastrous results.
Who around here remembers the Laing Stores?</p></em><br /><br /><p>Related: <a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/98032091/as-demolition-of-folk-art-museum-begins-archinect-reflects-on-historical-implications" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">As demolition of Folk Art Museum begins, Archinect reflects on historical implications</a></p>http://archinect.com/news/article/98032091/as-demolition-of-folk-art-museum-begins-archinect-reflects-on-historical-implications
As demolition of Folk Art Museum begins, Archinect reflects on historical implications Amelia Taylor-Hochberg2014-04-16T13:15:00-04:00>2014-05-09T11:33:41-04:00<img src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/514x/no/noymct2t6afeb3gu.jpg" width="514" height="343" border="0" title="" alt="" /><p>The axe is set to fall on the American Folk Art Museum -- after months of controversy and protest, MoMA initiated its expansion and began <a href="http://archrecord.construction.com/news/2014/04/140414-MoMA-Begins-Demolition-Folk-Art-Museum.asp" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">preparing the FAM for demolition</a>&nbsp;this past Monday. As per prior concessions by MoMA,&nbsp;<a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/93445049/moma-will-preserve-folk-art-museum-s-facade" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the museum's distinctive fa&ccedil;ade will be preserved</a>, but it's unlikely to abate the sour feelings of those who oppose both the loss of the FAM, and Diller Scofidio + Renfro's expansion designs.</p><p>When <a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/71018337/moma-to-raze-ex-american-folk-art-museum-building" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">MoMA first announced it would raze the FAM</a> in April of 2013, the news resonated not only as a blow to preservationism and sustainability, but as an issue of architectural ethics and institutional monopolies. <a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/71052733/folkmoma" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">#folkmoma</a> became a rallying post for protest and alternative proposals, and the widespread news coverage brought architectural drama to the <a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/91617873/building-faces-wrecking-ball-so-does-couples-friendship" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">front page</a>.</p><p>But pro-con feuding aside, the Folk/MoMA issue implicates difficult questions of architecture's responsibilities -- to preservation, sustainability, other architects, and the public&rsquo;s opinion. Architects and Archinect c...</p>http://archinect.com/news/article/98033714/coming-soon-to-moma-lots-of-knocking-next-door
Coming Soon to MoMA, Lots of Knocking Next Door Archinect2014-04-14T15:28:00-04:00>2014-04-21T22:08:39-04:00<img src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/514x/2r/2r3xpg44kx8sxjee.jpg" width="514" height="343" border="0" title="" alt="" /><em><p>The Museum of Modern Art&rsquo;s controversial decision to demolish a neighbor, the former American Folk Art Museum, is about to become reality.
On Monday, scaffolding and protective netting will begin to go up around the folk art building, at 45 West 53rd Street, the museum confirmed on Friday. [...]
The building&rsquo;s facade will be removed first, panel by panel, and taken to storage. Its future remains uncertain. Demolition is expected to continue through the summer.</p></em><br /><br /><p><a href="http://archinect.com/news/tag/268657/folkmoma" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Previously</a></p>http://archinect.com/news/article/93446480/germany-plans-to-raze-towns-for-brown-coal-and-cheap-energy
Germany Plans to Raze Towns for Brown Coal and Cheap Energy Archinect2014-02-13T16:55:00-05:00>2014-02-13T18:25:52-05:00<img src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/514x/48/48a6345501963fcc4092cec7972f0749.jpg" width="514" height="369" border="0" title="" alt="" /><em><p>Atterwasch is tiny, its single street lined with sturdy brick and stone houses. The village has a single church whose bells peal out at noon each day, a small volunteer fire department, and a cemetery with a special section devoted to German soldiers who died nearby in the closing months of WWII.
Atterwasch may soon be gone.
Vattenfall, a Swedish energy company, hopes to relocate the village and its residents in order to strip-mine the ground underneath for lignite, or "brown coal."</p></em><br /><br /><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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http://archinect.com/news/article/92844618/historic-status-won-t-protect-against-demolition
"Historic Status" won't protect against demolition Amelia Taylor-Hochberg2014-02-04T14:45:00-05:00>2014-02-10T19:53:23-05:00<img src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/514x/lz/lzuue8d07dwldi1u.jpg" width="514" height="729" border="0" title="" alt="" /><em><p>What a National Register [of Historic Places] listing really means is a 20% federal tax credit for structural investing, along with any state tax incentives, but that's often not enough to make preservation a more appealing option over razing and starting over. [...]
Listing on the National Register certainly gives something of an economic incentive for preservation, as well as a national profile for these sites [...]
However, what historic sites ultimately need is sustainable funding.</p></em><br /><br /><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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http://archinect.com/news/article/91617873/building-faces-wrecking-ball-so-does-couples-friendship
Building Faces Wrecking Ball. So Does Couples’ Friendship. Archinect2014-01-19T17:24:00-05:00>2014-02-21T12:37:08-05:00<img src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/514x/c8/c819c316255d0b524cf94dced0929c3c.jpg" width="514" height="343" border="0" title="" alt="" /><em><p>&ldquo;All of us who knew them thought this was going to be pretty much a slam dunk &mdash; that they would save the Folk Art Museum,&rdquo; said Peter Wheelwright, a former chairman of the architecture program at Parsons, the New School for Design. &ldquo;I knew they were capable of doing it and that, because of their friendship, that they would make a sincere, genuine, wholehearted effort.&rdquo;</p></em><br /><br /><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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http://archinect.com/news/article/90010992/demolishing-the-ghosts-of-a-housing-crash
Demolishing the ghosts of a housing crash Nam Henderson2013-12-29T21:32:00-05:00>2013-12-29T21:33:24-05:00<img src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/514x/gb/gbs6hkcjqxh3mekt.jpg" width="514" height="342" border="0" title="" alt="" /><em><p>"During that time, Ireland allowed a kind of honor code building inspection. The result is that many people paid high prices for houses that are fire hazards or sinking in bogs or are built with faulty foundations or missing drainage systems, a problem that is even harder and more expensive to solve."</p></em><br /><br /><p>
Suzanne Daley examines how Ireland is addressing the problem of ghost estates, unfinished leftovers from the booming days of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celtic_Tiger" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Celtic Tiger</a>. Government has embraced demolition as one solution, especially for homes which were never finished and which would cost too much to complete. However, given the scale of the problem, current demolition plans are not adequate to the need.</p>http://archinect.com/news/article/89829630/important-buildings-we-lost-in-2013
Important Buildings We Lost in 2013 Archinect2013-12-27T12:56:00-05:00>2013-12-27T14:45:02-05:00<img src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/514x/69/693db45f415fb1c19b7a413cbac9b190.jpg" width="514" height="361" border="0" title="" alt="" /><em><p>Many of the contested demolitions in 2013 involved structures that were once considered innovative, but just a few decades later, have been labeled "obsolete." This fact heats up some food for thought: Just how future-proof are the "futuristic" buildings that are being proposed and built now?</p></em><br /><br /><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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http://archinect.com/news/article/87009741/blighted-cities-prefer-razing-to-rebuilding
Blighted Cities Prefer Razing to Rebuilding Alexander Walter2013-11-20T20:11:00-05:00>2013-11-25T22:02:35-05:00<img src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/514x/c5/c5f1c9f253a04946e747b5ec16aaf546.jpg" width="514" height="344" border="0" title="" alt="" /><em><p>Shivihah Smith&rsquo;s East Baltimore neighborhood, where he lives with his mother and grandmother, is disappearing. The block one over is gone. A dozen rowhouses on an adjacent block were removed one afternoon last year. [...]
For the Smiths, the bulldozing of city blocks is a source of anguish. But for Baltimore, as for a number of American cities in the Northeast and Midwest that have lost big chunks of their population, it is increasingly regarded as a path to salvation.</p></em><br /><br /><p>
In light of yesterday's decision to allocate a chunk of the $13 billion JPMorgan Chase mortgage settlement to anti-blight measures across the country, I also recommend <a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=246201801" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this NPR interview</a> with Jim Rokakis, director of the Thriving Communities Institute in Cleveland, Ohio.</p>
<p>
<em>NPR host Melissa Block: "How much do you figure it cost to tear down a house?"</em></p>
<p>
<em>Jim Rokakis: "It's an average of about $10,000 a home. So in a state like Ohio where there's still around 85 to 90,000 vacant, abandoned, never-to-be-reoccupied houses, it's an 815, $900 million problem."</em></p>http://archinect.com/news/article/85320829/plan-to-raze-five-paul-rudolph-buildings-in-buffalo
Plan to Raze Five Paul Rudolph Buildings in Buffalo davvid2013-10-30T10:55:00-04:00>2015-05-21T23:36:15-04:00<img src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/514x/aw/awrymvmnja575rzz.jpg" width="514" height="340" border="0" title="" alt="" /><em><p>The Buffalo Planning Board will be reviewing plans to construct 48 apartments in eight new buildings next week. The complex at 270 Niagara Street sits in the shadow of City Hall. It currently contains 472 units on 9.5 acres and was completed in 1972.</p></em><br /><br /><p>
On Nov 6, 2013 in Buffalo the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.city-buffalo.com/files/1_2_1/city_departments/SPlanning/Planning/Agendas2013/Meeting1161.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">City Planning Board</a> will meet to review plans submitted by&nbsp;<a href="http://www.norstarcompanies.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Norstar Development </a>that will&nbsp;demolish five buildings of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Rudolph_(architect)" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Paul Rudolph</a>-designed Shoreline Apartments to make room for eight new residential buildings. The is being described as "Phase 1," and the details of the later phases have not yet been made public.</p>
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The Shoreline Apartments project was designed by Paul Rudolph and completed in 1974. It was featured in the September 1972 edition of Architectural Record.&nbsp;</p>http://archinect.com/news/article/84213969/prentice-hospital-could-become-modern-architecture-s-penn-station-moment
Prentice Hospital Could Become Modern Architecture’s ‘Penn Station Moment’ Archinect2013-10-15T12:58:00-04:00>2013-10-16T06:29:04-04:00<img src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/514x/js/jspl20davqhv4z3y.jpg" width="514" height="685" border="0" title="" alt="" /><em><p>This week, as Goldberg&rsquo;s famous work is pulled apart by wreckers, nothing about its loss seems symmetrical or graceful. Within 40 years, the building transitioned from a proud symbol of civic renewal and design innovation to the victim of old-fashioned Chicago politics. The controversy surrounding the demolition of Prentice, however, injected the preservation movement into an urban design discussion with a presence not seen in a long time.</p></em><br /><br /><p>
Related: <a href="http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-10-12/news/ct-met-kamin-prentice-1013-20131012_1_prentice-women-bertrand-goldberg-prentice-tower" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">As Prentice comes down, stakes rise on its replacement</a></p>http://archinect.com/news/article/78412774/interactive-decay
Interactive Decay Andrew Davis2013-08-07T11:39:00-04:00>2013-08-07T11:39:42-04:00<img src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/514x/6i/6ip8c5tf4a4ei793.jpg" width="514" height="355" border="0" title="" alt="" /><em><p>"Thanks to Data Driven Detroit, there is now an interactive map of the city's demo activity, covering both planned demolitions and those that have taken place since 2010."</p></em><br /><br /><p>
The schadenfreude of Detroit is now interactive! Come one and all to experience the most fascinating cartographic advancement since the invention of Google street view. It is not altogether the best month for Detroit with the recent claim of bankruptcy now making its way through the courts. However, the truth of the city's decay should not have been a surprise given the decades long depression afflicting Detroit. The only reason the country has cause to look now is because it is afraid the sickness will spread.</p>http://archinect.com/news/article/74185431/giant-demolition-job-as-two-mile-viaduct-in-china-is-blown-up
Giant demolition job as two mile viaduct in China is blown up Archinect2013-05-29T18:08:00-04:00>2013-06-04T15:11:10-04:00<img src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/514x/ag/agxq0o9aw9pnvqe5.jpg" width="514" height="289" border="0" title="" alt="" /><em><p>The demolition took place at night in the Chinese city of Wuhan. With 100,000 volt wiring running alongside the viaduct and 30 major gas pipelines underneath it, explosives experts were faced with a task requiring particular precision. The two mile long viaduct was the longest concrete bridge ever demolished in China.</p></em><br /><br /><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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http://archinect.com/news/article/74124101/the-pier-st-petersburg-s-iconic-inverted-pyramid-closes-this-friday-to-be-demolished-in-august
The Pier, St. Petersburg's iconic inverted pyramid, closes this Friday, to be demolished in August Archinect2013-05-28T20:24:00-04:00>2013-06-04T15:13:19-04:00<img src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/514x/p2/p2fdxjie9zt0d4w1.jpg" width="514" height="340" border="0" title="" alt="" /><em><p>The modernist five-story glass and steel structure was an attempt by city leaders to shake off the city&rsquo;s image as a retirement destination. Even more radical was its inverted pyramid shape, chosen by architect William B. Harvard to make the most use of the limited space at the pierhead without blocking views of the city and Tampa Bay.</p></em><br /><br /><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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http://archinect.com/news/article/73363586/miami-herald-obituary-writer-pens-a-farewell-to-the-miami-herald-building
Miami Herald obituary writer pens a farewell to the Miami Herald building Archinect2013-05-17T13:52:00-04:00>2013-05-27T20:37:20-04:00<img src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/514x/v5/v59k2v9hseppok7i.jpg" width="514" height="242" border="0" title="" alt="" /><em><p>One Herald Plaza, the bayfront behemoth from which generations of journalists fanned out across South Florida &mdash; and at times the world &mdash; to cover the news, passed into history on Thursday after succumbing to a real estate deal.
&hellip; She was 60.</p></em><br /><br /><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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